The Los Angeles Dodgers will get a long-awaited boost this week as right-hander Roki Sasaki is set to be activated from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. Out since May with a shoulder impingement, Sasaki will return in a new role. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed the 23-year-old will work out of the bullpen, giving the Dodgers a chance to evaluate him as a potential postseason weapon.
“Roki was really good. The stuff was good. He’ll fly to Arizona to come meet us there,” Roberts told reporters, including Sonja Chen of MLB.com. “We’re going to have a conversation, but he won’t be available to pitch until Wednesday.”
From Starter to Reliever
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Sasaki’s debut season has been far from the smooth transition many expected when he arrived from Japan. Over eight MLB starts, he posted a 4.72 ERA across 34 1/3 innings with nearly as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24). Advanced metrics painted an even rougher picture, with a 5.88 SIERA and 6.38 xERA fueled by shaky control.
The Dodgers shifted Sasaki into relief during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The move paid dividends immediately: he fired two scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts in his final appearances. His fastball velocity also ticked up to 98.6 mph, a noticeable jump from the 96 mph average in his first MLB stint.
What the Dodgers Need to See
For Roberts, the decision now hinges on consistency. “Velocity, strike-throwing, the split that gets swing-and-miss, and just the ability emotionally to handle coming out of the ’pen and attacking guys is something he’s never done before,” the Dodgers skipper said. “It’s still pitching, it’s still baseball. I feel he can do it, but it’s up to him to go out there and perform.”
That splitter could be Sasaki’s ticket to October. Even during his rocky start to big-league life, opponents hit just .158 against the pitch, whiffing more than a third of the time.
A Role Born of Necessity
Los Angeles enters the final stretch with one of baseball’s most volatile bullpens. Michael Kopech is back on the injured list, Tanner Scott has struggled badly since returning, and Blake Treinen’s September has been riddled with meltdowns. Ranked 25th in bullpen ERA this month, the Dodgers badly need stability.
With a playoff spot secured and the rotation already loaded, Sasaki’s best path to contributing now runs through the bullpen. If he flashes the power fastball and devastating splitter that made him a sensation in Japan, he may just carve out an October role after all.